Beatty reacts to Allen's departure

For immediate release: Friday, July 14, 2006

CONTACT: John Kohlstrand at (614) 466-9036 or (614) 595-4936

Beatty reacts to Allen’s departure

House Democratic Leader Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, issued the following statement on Dixie Allen’s departure from the Ohio House Democratic Caucus. It may be quoted in part or in full:

This sort of political opportunism is nothing new for Representative Allen.

For years, she had been putting her own personal wishes ahead of her constituents in Montgomery County. Just last year, she voted to strip health insurance away from 25,000 working parents in order to pay for a huge tax cut for the top 1 percent of income earners.

Now, after more than seven years of collecting a paycheck from taxpayers as a Democrat, she is apparently jumping at the chance to collect a paycheck from taxpayers as a Republican.

Allen’s inability to be a team player had become such concern for us that our leadership team decided more than a month ago that she would no longer be welcome in future meetings of our caucus.

Trust matters. Dixie Allen no longer had our trust.

Since Representative Allen is so interested in having Republicans appoint her county commissioner, perhaps it would be in everyone’s best interest for the representative to resign her seat. We are certain her constituents would welcome the opportunity to be represented by someone more in turn with their interests and values.

Across the 39^th House District, families are working longer hours, taking home smaller paychecks and spending less time with their children in order to try to keep up. They deserve a strong advocate in the House of Representatives.

For too long, they haven’t had one.

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